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My old Hello-Kitty alarm clock announced 6:30 as I cracked open my eyes. Reading somewhere that it's easiest to get out of bed if you do it thoughtlessly, I did just that. The ache of my sore sleepless body didn't seem any less painful than usual.

I dug through a heap of clothes for the ones Vivian had picked out for me. I dreamily threw them on. Viv had chosen a pretty tight but at least reasonably cut navy blouse of hers, some skinny jeans that I couldn't bend over in without flashing the world, and some rainbow converse.

Personally, I thought all this was only the more expensive and less comfortable equivalent of my classic jeans, t-shirt, and sneakers look. But Vivian would have a fit and give me what she calls "Fashion 101 For Idiots" all month if I told her that.

I brushed my teeth, splashed agua on my face, ate some toast and all the other usual morning, pre-school rituals, before finally walking down to the bus stop. The original plan was that Timber would drive us all to and fro, including school, but it turned out he had to wait another year to get his driver's license due to the law changing. Vivian had been crestfallen, convinced that driving to school would automatically give us a great social leap. So, back to yellow buses and sitting with strangers.

I was early so on a normal-day no one would be in sight. But everyone is early on the first day so I traipsed into a full bus filled with bustle. I sat in the first empty seat I saw, spreading my legs over the entire thing; in case someone tried to sit with me. Call me anti-social or whatever but I wasn't up for boppy conversation with some cheerleader or perverted senior. That was Viv's ball game and she pitched it quite well.

It was a short ten minute ride and we soon pulled up to the local high school. I waited for the mob of kids to flush out before getting up and leaving. Checking my watch, I learned I had nearly twenty minutes until the first bell rung. I sat on the curb and waited for my friends to arrive.

"Hey," a male voice said casually but with a smile, as that same auburn haired guy sat beside me. Tim looked me over. "So you did actually take her suggestion?" He raised his eyebrows.
"You mean Viv's stuff? Well yeah. I didn't think I had much of a choice."
Timber made one of those skeptical tsk, tsk, tsk sounds.
"I have to say I'm a bit dissapointed, Bran. Don't you have a mind of your own? Or are you no longer the protagonist I once met?" He smirked as I rolled my eyes.

"I don't know what you remember but I was never the protagonist in our little trio. Maybe you're confusing me with Vivian?" I suggested.
"Nah, Vivian goes right along with the flow, just throwing in her little twists now and then. But you, underneath the lacquer finish that is, are a rebel."

What was he talking about?
"No." I replied, unconvinced.
"Yeah, maybe you're right," he said, agreeing with a smirk. Making me blush at my own stupid good-girl innocense.
"Maybe you're that protagonist," I told the most logical of all of us to be a rebel.
"No, no, no. I'm not a protagonist, just... different."
I raised an eyebrow, not seeing the difference. "Okay. Whatever you say, Timber."

"I wonder where Vivian is."
"Probably getting all dolled up for her big day."
We were silent, aware that this day wasn't only important for Viv (she just was excessively dramatic about everything).
It was the first day of four years. Four probably agonizing, beautiful, happy, awful hard years.

The bell rang and we ran off to our classes, wishing the other a quick good luck and promise of a place to sit at lunch.